Describing and Rating Wine: A Comprehensive Guide

Method of judging wine.

The ability to accurately describe and rate a wine is a skill that can greatly enhance your wine tasting experience. It allows you to communicate your impressions of a wine effectively and can help you remember specific wines that you enjoyed. This article will guide you through the process of developing a personal wine tasting vocabulary, writing comprehensive wine tasting notes, understanding wine rating systems, and appreciating the role of professional wine critics.

Developing a Personal Wine Tasting Vocabulary

The first step in describing wine is to develop a personal wine tasting vocabulary. This involves familiarizing yourself with a range of descriptors that can be used to articulate the various characteristics of a wine. These descriptors can relate to the wine's appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel. For example, a wine's appearance could be described as 'clear', 'bright', or 'deep', while its aroma and taste could be described using terms related to fruits, flowers, spices, earth, wood, and more. The mouthfeel of a wine could be described as 'light', 'medium', or 'full-bodied', 'smooth', 'rough', 'tannic', etc.

Writing Comprehensive Wine Tasting Notes

Once you have developed a vocabulary, you can use it to write comprehensive wine tasting notes. A good wine tasting note should include information about the wine's appearance, aroma, taste, and mouthfeel, as well as your overall impression of the wine. It can also include details about the wine's origin, grape variety, and any other relevant information. Remember, the purpose of a wine tasting note is to capture your personal experience of the wine, so don't be afraid to include your own unique observations and impressions.

Understanding Wine Rating Systems

Wine rating systems provide a standardized way of assessing the quality of a wine. The most commonly used system is the 100-point scale, where wines are rated out of 100 points based on factors such as their appearance, aroma, taste, balance, and overall impression. Other systems include the 5-star scale and the 20-point scale. It's important to remember that these ratings are subjective and can vary between different tasters. Therefore, while they can be a useful guide, they should not be the sole factor in your decision to purchase a wine.

The Role of Professional Wine Critics

Professional wine critics play a significant role in the wine industry. Their ratings and reviews can influence consumer purchasing decisions and can even affect the price of a wine. However, it's important to remember that wine tasting is a highly personal experience and what one person enjoys, another may not. Therefore, while the opinions of professional critics can be informative, they should not overshadow your own personal taste preferences.

In conclusion, describing and rating wine is a skill that can greatly enhance your wine tasting experience. By developing a personal wine tasting vocabulary, learning to write comprehensive tasting notes, understanding wine rating systems, and appreciating the role of professional critics, you can deepen your understanding and appreciation of wine.